Trying to put some rear pads in my LTZ400. Once I get the pads in, I cant the caliper back in, there is not a big enough gap between the pads to get over the rotor. It seems like the pads are too thick but that's probably not the case. I have even tried putting it in with out the pad closest to the piston thinking the piston wasnt in far enough. It seems like that metal arm is in the way. The old pads were down to the metal and the piston was extended pretty far and I got it pushed in pretty far. Put an old pad back on and hammered it and used a pry bar to push the piston in.

any ideas?

 

You need to adjust the parking brake is all.

 

plus you might want to remove the cap off the resivour and compress the piston into the caliper. removing the cap will allow the brake fluid to flow back into the res easier whlie you take a C-clamp and push the piston back in.

 

personally i would remove the parking brake and put on a block off plate. they run aroun $12.00 at a shop or $10 on ebay.

 

just curious why you would advise to remove the parking brake? Something was bent on my perch and I actually just replaced the clutch perch to FIX my parking brake. I have kids and when we ride the trails, sometimes I have to help them get unstuck, etc. I like leaving the bike running in neutral and not having the parking brake blew chunks. On a hill I would have to shut off and leave in gear

Remove the res cap, good idea

how do I adjust the parking brake? will it be self explanatory when I go look at it?

 

When you remove the cap, use a c-clamp to fully compress the piston. It will compress much easier now that you have the cap off, but will still want to start to engage as you put it back together so you will want to move relatively quickly. Also, beware that depending on the level of brake fluid in your resevoir, when you compress your piston with the cap off, it will overflow and make a mess.

 

I always take one of the old pads and keep it in between the c clamp and the brake cylinder as well. You could use pretty much anything, it is mostly just to protect the face of that cylinder from getting dinged up with the clamp. As for adjusting the parking brake, I don't know how it works on that model. They usually come off pretty easy, I bet if you unhook it you can get the pads right in OK.

 

On the back side of your caliper you will see a screw with a flat tip screwdriver slot and a 12mm nut on it to hold it in place.
To adjust the parking brake, use the following procedure.
1. Loosen the parking brake adjuster lock nut on the back of the caliper while holding the adjuster with a screwdriver; then turn the adjuster counterclockwise
several turns.
2. Loosen the parking brake cable adjuster at the handlebars to achieve a cable length of 2 inches from the flat metal arm on the back of the caliper to the thick aluminum arm that holds the parking brake cable in place.
3. Tighten the cable adjuster lock nut on the handlebars securely.
4. Turn the parking brake adjuster screw on the caliper clockwise until it stops; then back up adjuster 1/8-1/4 turn.
5. Hold the adjuster screw in position and tighten the lock nut.

 

arrggghhh

I got the caliper pushed all the way in. Took the res cap off and adjusted the parking brake.


But the problem is that mounting bracket. If you look at the pictures, you will see the clearance issue. There is just not enough room between the bracket and the outside pad (furthest from the caliper)

I tried removing that bracket from the caliper, but the allen bolt stripped

 

That mounting bracket is supposed to slide as well. If that bracket doesn't slide, one pad will wear faster than the other. Will it push over toward the piston side?
Mudslinger2